Let's face it, anyone would be hard-pressed to get excited about a car called the Morris Garages, but think of it as MG and it is a very different story.

As a one-time owner of an MG-B, however, my own impressions of the famous marque are coloured by two differing trains of thought.

Memories of the good times, when the little roadster was pure fun in the sun, but also the less happy occasions when its power and handling were easily outshone by upstart new Japanese competitors.

So I approached the MG-F with some wariness, though about the only things it has in common with its ancestors are the famous octagon badge and the fact it is a two-seater convertible; a mid-engine layout, with the engine driving the rear wheels from behind the seats, is about as similar to an MG-B as cheese is to chalk.

There is also the matter of its parentage, as MG is now owned by Rover, which is in turn owned by BMW.

Possibly a contrived design cue, to further enhance the sensation of a compact sportscar, but it was also noted that passenger footspace is a bit restricted.

The steering wheel is nicely sized, and lightly weighted despite having to carry the airbag, though its appearance and feel is a bit let down by the thumb-knob rests on the rim. A move away from these oddities by some other manufacturers has been noted recently.

But the dashboard is a tasty piece of work, with instruments that strive for a "retro" look and succeed with their creamy-grey faces. There's a reasonable complement of speedo, tacho, temperature, fuel, oil temperature and a clock.

Despite sitting behind the engine, the boot has a surprising capacity while the front hatch offers minimal storage space, being occupied by the battery, radiator and spare wheel.

The spare is in itself an unusual approach. Not a space-saver in the usual sense, but a steel rim carrying a `normal' radial tyre of 175/65-14, whereas the alloy wheels are 15 inch jobs.

Meanwhile, the glove-box will hold a pair of gloves and maybe some business cards, but not much else. And the sunvisors are plastic items that really don't match the overall quality of the car - their rough edges make them seem like a hasty afterthought.

The roof is a cinch to raise or lower single-handedly (even in a hurry with stormclouds threatening). With the roof down, the tonneau cover is a bit of a trial to put in place, but works rather well once it is.

MG-F's engine is a fuel injected 1.8 litre four optionally available as the 1.8i VVC, a high-performance version equipped with the Rover-designed Variable Valve Control system. Yet another means of changing inlet or exhaust valve openings `on the move', VVC was actually developed by Rover back in 1989, then kept on the shelf until it was decided to build the MGF.

Our test MG-F was not fitted with a VVC engine, but had sufficient reserves of performance to make us wonder how much more excited we might have been.

Its exhaust seems a bit too heavily muted - probably more to appease the sensitive ears of legislators than stir the soul of an enthusiast - but acceleration is spirited enough, the little car will easily out-sprint some larger and more powerful competitors.

And if it sprints into the twisty bits first, say goodbye.

Its handling is quite superb, ideally balanced at all times and very forgiving even of basic driver input mistakes. A big advantage of mid-engine design is that the suspension can be more compliant, as it doesn't have to be stiff enough to control a heavy nose, so the MG-F retains its handling without jarring your kidneys.

The gear box is another delight - perfectly located with the lever close to hand, with a crisp yet rubbery feel in its directness and short throw from cog to cog.

The power steering uses an electronic servo that cuts out completely at a pre-determined speed (I never quite figured out just where it ceases). But around town it offers all the convenience and ease that could be asked for, yet at cruising and highway speeds it retains the controllability and feel of any good rack & pinion system.

Aside from those `tacked-on' sunvisors, finish and appointments generally are very good, with items like dual interior lights on the mirror plus footwell lights as well, and the MG-F deserves to be taken very seriously as a sportscar.